On 15/09/2011 10:32 AM, Stephen wrote:
> On 15/09/2011 9:24 AM, Invisible wrote:
>> I'm just wondering whether fungi deliberately manufacture substances for
>> no other reason than to prevent them being eaten,
>
> Do you believe in a god?

*sigh*

OK, well if you want to split hairs...

I'm just wondering whether the fact that many fungi are poisonous to 
large mammals is positively selected for, or a neutral trait.

(Which is /obviously/ what I asked in the first place, to anybody who 
actually understands how evolution works.)

The tea tree manufactures caffeine for no reason other than to control 
pests. It is of no "use" to the plant itself, it's just poisonous to 
certain insects that try to eat the plant. If there were no insects, the 
tree wouldn't need to make caffeine at all. This is "deliberate toxicity".

Other substances, however, are manufactured as part of an organism's 
internal metabolic processes. As hormones, as intermediate compounds, as 
storage, whatever. A few of these just happen to be toxic to other 
species. This is "accidental toxicity".

None of this is intended to imply /actual concious intent/. It's just a 
figure of speech. Sheesh...

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